#MonthOfMinistry Day 7
The wonderful XKCD comic reminded us recently that we are related to stromatolites (https://xkcd.com/3046).
As the cartoon says, stromatolites are basically mats of bacteria, which build up over time into clumps. Some of these are fossilised as lumps of rock, and some of these are among the earliest traces of living organisms we have evidence for – around 3.48 billion years ago. And, yes, we are all related to them (as we are to all organisms that have lived since then). It seems probable that the mitochondria in our cells were originally independent bacteria, similar to the ones in stromatolites.
So, yes, if we expand our vision and look into the well of deep time, we are all related. And maybe the best way to appreciate the wonder of that is simply to lie and bask in the warm sun – a very old family tradition!
More about stromatolites on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatolite